Image:
the sleek profile of a leaping jungle cat – a jaguar. Now, cast in chrome and
put it on the hood of a car – talk about brand recognition! Jaguar continues to be one of the world’s
most distinguished automotive brands with a rich history, highly identifiable
styling (for the most part), and English pedigree – now with American (Ford
Motor) parentage.

For
the Jaguar of Tampa dealership, JGA, Inc., in close collaboration with
Illuminating Concepts (IC), has created a sophisticated, theatrical setting not
at all typical in car showrooms of any ilk. Visiting the 33,120-square-foot
dealership is more like an “event” in viewing, purchasing, or servicing an
automobile. “Unlike most retail, the challenge was not how to make the product
a star, but rather how to highlight its star quality and create an appropriate
setting – a habitat that implicitly brings to life the brand message,” says Ken
Nisch, JGA Chairman.

By
the same token, the JGA/IC design team made sure that the environment was not
one that projected “conspicuous consumption” – you’ll find no Austrian crystal
chandeliers or blindingly polished marble floors here. It is a refreshing
change from the gaudy and ostentatious “Auto McPalaces” or the generic
glass-box, fluorescent-lit car showrooms that line so many American roadways
(especially in Florida!).

As
Nisch explains it, “These days, while it may be acceptable to be consumptive,
it is clearly not acceptable to be conspicuous. In dealing with a product that
carries the image and associated economics of a Jaguar automobile, a degree of
‘casualization’ helps develop a sense of comfort and relaxation on the part of
the potential consumer: ‘It's about the style, not the status’.”

Seeing the dealership more as a campus, the natural
landscape of the property – from a running stream to numerous live oaks – was
preserved and enhanced to act as an informal and gracious backdrop for the
display of automobiles. Generous curves within the landscape allow the customer
to flow from one area of the campus to another, with the focus always on the
main building. The setting allows a more welcoming, hospitality-based approach
to the sales process. This tactic influenced everything from the nature of the exterior auto
displays to the main showroom and service modules.

One enters the double-height showroom through a pair of over-scaled,
crafted wood paneled doors accented by curved extruded stainless handles,
contrasting the adjacent steel-framed windows. The interior is what one might
call “eclectic contemporary” that combines earthy with high-tech. Industrial
metal mesh scrims and stainless steel display panels – and the sleek, clean lines of the cars themselves –
play against leather-like
caramel stained concrete floors, dark stained timbers, a mix of crafted
and eco-influenced furniture, and a large tropical aquarium that fills one
wall.

“Clearly
the arrogance of space, both floor space as well as volumetric space, is only
possible because of the price point of the vehicle itself,” Nisch says. “This
suggested an approach that lets the customer view the product virtually in the
round, isolated from other vehicles. The chain mail scrim device became the
ideal solution, allowing a degree of transparency where the space wouldn’t feel
too confining, overwhelming, or distracting.”

Inside, the theatrical lighting and audio
system is fully automatic and day-of-week/time specific. During business hours, a
variety of scrolling and colored patterns, overlaid with brand logos, are
projected across the mesh screens and interior architecture. “Our goal was to
engender the same emotion of excitement generated at the larger auto shows
during the unveiling of a new car,” says Ron Harwood, IC Principal and Creative
Director. “Typically, these events are shielded from the public and reserved
for the international press. This has never made any sense to us as the
consumer is the ultimate target for any new release.”

These series of
three-dimensional effectscreates a dynamic, textural
backdrop (and ethereal brand enforcement) for the vehicle displays
within the double-height volume of 24-foot ceilings. After hours, the system switches to "show mode," providing
a much more animated and vibrant series of looks to attract passers-by.
At 11 pm, the lighting switches to “off” mode, leaving only enough fixtures
turned on to illuminate the showroom vehicles. The modes can be changed by IC
designers through an Internet connection to the dealership for special event
lighting for parties and model launches. (Take two minutes and visit IC’s video (PC and Mac versions) of Jaguar of Tampa and see
it in action!)

An
expansive collage of mesh panels that forms a transition between the sales and
back office windows overlooking the showroom floor accentuates the dramatic
scale of the space. Sales interactions
can also take place on a series of porches and terraces surrounding the main
building where there are seating areas and service drop-off points. The
customer waiting areas include an exterior patio, a flat-screen television,
Internet-ready workstations, and an extensive display of retail products.

“Using
the environment as an embodiment of the brand, the scale, sculptural quality,
and classic design provided a great leverage point for the Jaguar showroom
design by letting the automobile speak for itself,” says Nisch. “Other luxury
industries are migrating away from pretension in terms of the obvious brass,
marble, and crystal to a much more substantive approach – a sense of volumetric
luxury versus a mere veneer of luxury. I characterize the experience as savory
versus gourmet.”

Since 1971, JGA
has evolved to become one of the nation's leading retail design, brand
strategy, and architectural firms. The firm’s expertise is in balancing space
planning, brand identity, imaging, graphics, and merchandising. JGA clients
include Audi, Jockey, Hot Topic/Torrid, J. Jill, La-Z-Boy, The North Face,
American Museum of Natural History, Ripley's Aquariums, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield
Village, Hershey's, Avon, and GNC.

Illuminating
Conceptsis
recognized as a pioneer of turnkey “immersion experiences,” environments that
saturate visitors with an array of enticing elements. For 22 years, the firm has
provided clients with solutions for architectural, theatrical, and retail
lighting, audio systems, water features, and special effects. IC’s branded
software system, MediamorFX™, provides the artificial intelligence required to
fuse each of these elements together automatically, essentially allowing
Architects and Owners to tailor an environment to meet ever-changing needs.